


The Ice Pass

by FanFicReader01



Series: The Library Chronicles [2]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Poets of the Fall
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, M/M, OOC, Post-Apocalypse, Slice of Life, Survivors, The Library, Zombie Apocalypse, travelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:20:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25972015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01
Summary: Two men are searching for a valuable object.One group is out preying on the weakness of others.
Relationships: Marko Saaresto/Olli Tukiainen
Series: The Library Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885000
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	The Ice Pass

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome everybody to the first actual mini story of the Library Chronicles!  
> This is what you get when the writer is both fan of a videogame and a Finnish music band >:) You don't really need to know any original story of Re3Remake or PoTF stuff becos the guys r now far removed from the real thing and I wouldn't even consider they have their irl personalities either lol.
> 
> There are a lot of nods/references to PoTF music records though, so enjoy finding them (they're blatantly put here)

The Machine has been restless the last couple of weeks. With an even stronger winter approaching, not many travellers dare to cross this treacherous route. Those who do, are either strong enough or stupid enough to take such a risk. Either way, they are delicious prey for the Hopecatcher’s group of organised raiders. The group has the literal high ground in this tight passage as they’re well hidden in the rocky formations of the canyon.  
“You spot anything yet, Hamartia?” the Hopecatcher murmurs to his right-hand man.  
Hamartia grunts as he is looking through his rifle scope. With a determined eye he keeps scanning the area, and mainly the entrance and exit of the ice pass. There, in the distance he spots shades.  
“Something is moving our way.” The blond sniper makes a few gestures and the Hopecatcher copies them to his other men. Valmistaudu itse. As the distance between the possible targets decreases, Hamartia is sure there are only two people there. Easy prey. The Hopecatcher smirks amused. Still, they have to be smart about this and not give away their positions too quick. Patience is key. He takes up his binoculars and observes the unsuspecting trespassers himself. Two tall men approach. One is wearing a green beanie over his head and he seems to be young. There’s a worried expression on his face. Despite his height, he doesn’t pose much of a threat. The other guy on the other hand, albeit smaller, is sturdy built and walks confident. He has white to silver grey hair. He looks very military. Maybe they should take him out first. The Hopecatcher signals to his other men. Now the bow archer jumps into action. Arrows could be easier retrieved than bullets and they are stealthier as well. The next things happens real quickly. Hamartia, out of shock, looks away from his scope and directly to the ground below even if that doesn’t offer him a better sight. In a millisecond, the silver haired man had switched positions with the younger man and now it was the younger man whose foot got punctured with the arrow.  
“Show yourself, cowards!” he barks while his companion fell to the ground in pain.  
Hamartia and the Hopecatcher exchange equally surprised looks. Before Hamartia can stop his boss, the man makes himself known as he climbs down to meet the two travellers.  
“Marko!” Hamartia hisses, reaching out a futile hand.  
“My, you have the eye of a sharp shooter,” the Hopecatcher says with open arms and a smile, too wide on his lipstick black mouth.  
“Maybe because I am,” the silver haired man says with a thick, Russian accent. “I suspected such trap as I entered this cave. Apparently it’s full of cavemen.”  
The Hopecatcher sneers at the comment. “You talk big for someone in the vulnerable spot. Here, I have eyes everywhere. One signal, and you and your buddy over there are goners. So you better not mess with the Machine.”  
The Russian is still not fazed by the threat. “Ah, so I am in their territory. Interesting, but I do not fear your men, Hopecatcher. Besides, you must- Murphy, stop your whining or I’ll shoot you myself!” His companion is still tending to his wound, ugly tears streaming down his face, snot collecting under one nostril.  
“Anyway, ‘mister’ Hopecatcher, you must know that I am merely a Messenger of the Library of the West. I have business there and sought the shortest route.”  
That changes the conversation. The Hopecatcher’s previous smirk turns into a deep, agitated frown. He clenches his fist. His boiled up frustration makes the chains on his heavy chest armour clank.  
“You? And I must believe a military man like you is a Messenger? For a Library of all places?” he outs his utter disbelief.  
The Russian nods. He takes off his bag and under gun point of the Hopecatcher’s men and Hamartia, who is still positioned at his sniping spot, he goes through his belongings only to get out a special badge. He hands it over to the gang leader with nonchalance and adds: “It’s real. And I expect you too, criminal or not, to play by the Rules.”  
The dark, blond haired man huffs as he scrutinises the badge’s legitimacy. Defeated, he lowers the thing and throws it back at the other man. “Count yourself lucky then. Now go before I change my mind.” He gestures to his men to not open fire and provide a safer passage for the two men. The Russian strides first while his companion limps behind.

“What was that about?” Hamartia hisses as his leader and partner gets back to the high grounds.  
“I know, Hamartia, but even we have to live by the Rules. Every well accomplished gang knows to not make a complete fool of themselves by disobeying those Rules. If we want to keep our reputation of not being downright Varmints, that is. Even the Machine has some morals.”  
“You could’ve been shot,” Hamartia further argues, clearly upset at the danger his partner had put himself in.  
“I am not a cowardice leader. I do not mind being in the line of fire. And had I been shot, then it was simply my time and you, my dearest, would’ve become the new Hopecatcher.”  
“No-, no. That would be all wrong, Marko. You are the one and only. You’re our Hope.”  
Marko smiles. “The Hopecatcher is merely a title that got bestowed upon me. It’s true that not everybody could hold that tile, but you are certainly qualified.”  
“I don’t care about passing titles, I just don’t want to lose you. I-, olet tärkeä.”  
“I know and you know I think the same about you, Olli.” Marko claps the younger man on his shoulder before telling his men to be on the lookout again. There has to be another group of unlucky travellers to take advantage of. The Machine’s rations are decreasing and some of the men are clearly getting restless. They’re becoming trigger happy and need an outlet.  
“The next caravan that passes, won’t have the luck of our mercy,” the Hopecatcher mutters.

\---O---

It’s been an hour and the duo hasn’t made much progress since they left the ice passage. Nikolai curses. He needs a vehicle quickly. He planned to reach the sea by midnight but at this pace that won’t happen. He looks behind him to see Murphy still limping. Even after they removed the arrow and bandaged his foot with the tools that had been available to them, the man doesn’t look great. It would be easier to travel back to the Library of the North but Nikolai (well, actually Murphy) has business to do in the Western Library. So in some sense, he did not lie to the Hopecatcher and his men. That badge, however, was obviously stolen. An unlucky Messenger had to pay for it with his life, not that Nikolai really cared. And he shouldn’t really care about that runt, Murphy either. But alas, he’d made a promise to the kid’s older, dying brother. He would look after him, make him capable of protecting himself. However, the Russian ex-gang member didn’t plan to babysit someone’s baby brother for nothing. There should be a price for everything. And Nikolai is a fan of money so he makes damn sure that Murphy will be worth his time.  
“What if t-the library doesn’t have the book?” the sniper apprentice whines behind him. Nikolai stops in his tracks and sternly says: “It will. And you will search the entire building until you have it. Now move quicker. I believe there’s a gas station not far from here.”  
“Why did you do that back there?”  
“You need to learn to get used to a hit,” Nikolai chuckles.  
“What if they’d killed me?”  
The older man doesn’t answer that question and continues walking. They’ll have a boat to catch if they’re lucky. Else, at dawn. But first, they’re going to get a vehicle. Which is easier obtained than initially thought. Murphy is holding onto the Russian as he races off, leaving an angry owner behind at the gas station. Nikolai looks at the gas level: that should suffice for their little trip to the sea. Once they’re there, he’ll have a proper medic look at Murphy’s foot. Because whether he likes it or not, if the kid’s condition gets worse, he’ll become a completely useless tool. Nikolai keeps his curses in his mouth, why did he make that stupid promise?

**Author's Note:**

> I went google translate again so here goes:
> 
> _Valmistaudu itse _= Ready yourselves_  
>  _olet tärkeä _= you are important (to me)___
> 
> _  
> _  
> _  
> _The Hopecatcher/Marko wears his Choice Milionaire clothes and makeup. Go watch the music video, it's great_  
>  _  
>  _  
>  _
> 
> _  
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> _  
> _Also, some stories might continue/intersect with other storylines. It really will depend how each fic is set up :P_  
>  _  
>  _  
>  _


End file.
